South Africa could host IPL 7 if general election forces it out of India

After months of speculation, the IPL Governing Council finally said that it may stage the 2014 edition in South Africa, as was the case in 2009.

With the Twenty20 league coinciding with the general election, it was always on the cards that the tournament will be taken abroad.

In fact, countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates were thought to be likely venues. But on Thursday, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal said the Rainbow nation will be the stage if the league had to be moved out of India.

"South Africa will host the IPL, if
it goes out of India. We have been communicating with the home ministry
and have received feelers from them. But we will officially meet them
next week and take a call in 10 days. We had a governing council meeting
today as well and discussed this issue," Biswal informed.

"We
have an April 9-June 3 window and want to hold maximum matches here as
the fans will miss out otherwise. The business end in all probability
will be held in India."

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said franchises have been made aware of developments in this matter.

"We have had a series of meetings with them regarding this and are taking the owners into confidence," he said.

The IPL's possible move to South
Africa assumes significance in that country's Board changing stance at
the eleventh hour and backing the position paper prepared by BCCI,
Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board to effectively
take control of the world game.

Initially,
Cricket South Africa appeared to be the staunchest critic of the plan,
along with Boards of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. But after
high-level discussions, they made a u-turn.

Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka seem to have paid for their opposition. Not only have
their players been mostly ignored, they are no longer in the scheme of
things as far as hosting the IPL is concerned.

But some of the franchises may not be too pleased with the tournament moving out of the country. Mumbai Indians are keen on hosting the opening match of IPL-VII – a prerogative of the defending champions as per IPL guidelines.

Speaking to Mail Today, one of the officials present in Bangalore made it clear that the Reliance Industries-owned franchise was keen to stage the first game of the season, but would not mind the rest of the tournament being shifted to another country.

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"The winner of the previous edition hosts the opening and final match of the next IPL and there is a reason behind the move. It is a matter of prestige for the winners to start the campaign in front of their home crowd and Mumbai Indians obviously aren't ready to sacrifice that.

"So we might, in all probability, see the first game in Mumbai before the IPL shift to South Africa and then returns to Indian shores for the business end of the tournament. But obviously all that can be confirmed only after the governing council has a word with the home Ministry on the matter," he said.

When the event was moved to South Africa in 2009, it was done so at a very short notice. Security concerns also played a role as the tournament came just a few months after the November 26, 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai.

Lalit Modi was the IPL commissioner at that time. The tournament was won by Deccan Chargers but there were allegations of violation of foreign exchange regulations.